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Conservation Research Laboratory Reports

Composite wood / iron objects: pole arms and partisans
La Salle Shipwreck Project
Texas Historical Commission

Throughout each year, the Conservation Research Laboratory conserves material from a
number of different archaeological projects. The purpose of these CRL reports is to showcase the
conservation procedures used to treat some of the more interesting archaeological material. The
conservation of a partisan found on the Belle is presented in this report. The Belle, one of the
ships of French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur (Lord) de La Salle, was lost in Matagorda Bay,
Texas in 1686. It was excavated by the Texas Historical Commission.

During any shipwreck conservation project, and the Belle is no exception, there are always
artifacts classified as composite artifacts because they are comprised of disparate materials that
cannot be disassembled or broken down into their component parts. A number of pole arms
found on the Belle fall into this category as they all have iron blades attached to long wooden
shafts.

Definition of Terms

A 'pole arm' is an all-inclusive word for any metal pointed

shaft used for military and/or status purposes. There is
considerable confusion and overlapping of definitions for
the numerous 15th- through 18th-century wooden shafts
with metal pointed ends. They are referred to as pikes,
spontoons, partisans, and halberds to name but a few.

The encrusted object to the left was recovered from

the Belle. It can be identified as a partisan, which is
defined either as "a weapon used by infantry in the 16th
to 17th centuries, consisting of a long-handled spear, the
blade having one or more lateral cutting
projections" (Oxford Universal Dictionary of Historical
Principles 1955) or as "a broad-bladed pole arm usually
having short, curved branches at the base of the blade;
but the shapes of the blades vary greatly" (Stone
1961:484).

A partisan, Stone (1961:484) continues, is

"particularly the weapon of the guards of dignitaries and
many specimens are elaborately decorated. It was used
throughout the 16th and 17th centuries and still is used
as a ceremonial weapon."

The encrusted pole arm/partisan shown above is an excellent example of an iron/wood

composite artifact. It is presented here as an interesting example of the role that casting in
epoxy plays in modern conservation. Casting is of particular importance in the conservation of
the Belle's iron artifacts, for only a natural mold formed by the encrustation is all that remains of
a significant percentage of them -- especially the smaller objects. It is important to remember
that when a metal object is lost in the sea, a layer of encrustation begins to form immediately on

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its surfaces. This encrustation creates a perfect impression (in many instances) and mold of the
original metal object.

In order to properly evaluate the encrusted pole arm, it was necessary to first obtain a good
set of radiographs. Where sound metal remains on an encrusted artifact, it shows as a white
area on a radiograph, for X rays do not readily penetrate through metal and thus only slightly
expose the X-ray film. Areas where metal is completely corroded are indicated by a gray
shadow.

In the case of the Belle pole arm, we could

determine from the radiograph (illustrated at
right) that some metallic iron remained in the
thick, center part of the blade. However, no
metal remained along the blade's thin cutting
edges. In short, all that remained of the blade
was a hollow mold filled with loose slush. We
decided then to make a cast of the blade from the
impression it had left in the encrustation.

The figure to the right was drawn from X rays of

the encrusted object. It can be classed as a
partisan, since it is very similar to the example
highlighted in the figure below.

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The highlighted partisan (left) is a 17th-century

French piece. The other examples show the range of
variations found within this interesting partisan class
of polearms.
Elaborate etched designs are evident on some of
these examples.

Source: Stone 1961:483.

See how we conserved the iron blade.

See how we conserved the wooden shaft.

This site is maintained by the staff of the Nautical Archaeology Program (cmacwebmaster@tamu.edu). The contents of this site - text, images, and
data - are intended for personal information only. Downloading of information or graphic images contained herein for private use is not discouraged;
however, written permission from the Nautical Archaeology Program is required for the publication of any material. Any use of this material should credit
the Nautical Archaeology Program, Texas A&M University. For additional details, contact Donny L. Hamilton (dlhamilton@tamu.edu). For prices for
publishing rights to photographs and video from the Conservation Research Laboratory and the Port Royal Project, click here. All La Salle shipwreck
images and data contained within this web site are copyrighted ©1999 Texas Historical Commission. You are free to use information or non-copyrighted
images from these pages for any non-commercial purpose. Any use of this information should credit the Texas Historical Commission. Last updated:
Wednesday, 19-Jan-2011 17:50:05 Central Standard Time

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/crl/Report2/polearm.htm 04/02/2011
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Conservation Research Laboratory Reports

Composite wood / iron objects: pole arms and partisans
La Salle Shipwreck Project
Texas Historical Commission

CONSERVATION OF AN IRON BLADE

Radiographs (right) of encrusted metal artifacts, such as the partisan

(below), can reveal where sound metal remains, as well as show
areas of metal that have since corroded. It is sometimes difficult,
however, to determine from the X rays if the corrosion products are
solid or if they are merely loose slush. To find out, the conservator
has no choice but to break open the encrustation. If all that remains
is loose slush and a natural mold of the artifact, the mold can be
easily cast in epoxy. If the corrosion products are solid, a different
tactic must be used.

When the encrusted partisan (above) was broken in half, we realized that the corrosion products
were, in fact, solid. Our original plan of casting the entire piece had to be slightly modified.

After the broken encrustation was fitted back together, it was pressed into a box containing plaster-of-
Paris (below left). The plaster supported the back half of the encrusted piece, while the conservator slowly
removed the encrusted top half. The conservator used an S.S. White Airbrasie unit to cut through the
encrustation (below right). The precision of this tool ensured that the thin cutting edge of the partisan
blade would not be inadvertently destroyed.

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After cutting off the top surface of the encrustation, all of the metal corrosion layers were removed.
Special care was taken to clean the sharp edges of the blade. Hysol LE-6329 NA epoxy (no longer available)
was poured into the open areas, making sure it flowed along the edges. The different pieces of the top
encrustation were then placed on top of the epoxy, so that it would pick up the natural surface of the
original blade surface.

Part epoxy/part metal partisan Silicone rubber mold made of part

removed from the encrustation metal/part epoxy partisan

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Part metal/metal oxide and part expoxy partisan as Silicone rubber mold cast with Hysol LE 6329 NA
removed from the encrustation after filling voids with epoxy epoxy

After the epoxy set, the

cast was removed and
covered with a coating of
graphite to give it a
metallic appearance
(right). There is
additional work to be
done on the metal straps
that project from the
partisan, connecting it to
the shaft.

See how we conserved the wooden shaft.

Find out more aboute pole arms and partisans.

This site is maintained by the staff of the Nautical Archaeology Program (cmacwebmaster@tamu.edu). The contents of this site - text, images, and data - are intended
for personal information only. Downloading of information or graphic images contained herein for private use is not discouraged; however, written permission from the
Nautical Archaeology Program is required for the publication of any material. Any use of this material should credit the Nautical Archaeology Program, Texas A&M
University. For additional details, contact Donny L. Hamilton (dlhamilton@tamu.edu). For prices for publishing rights to photographs and video from the Conservation
Research Laboratory and the Port Royal Project, click here. All La Salle shipwreck images and data contained within this web site are copyrighted ©1999 Texas Historical
Commission. You are free to use information or non-copyrighted images from these pages for any non-commercial purpose. Any use of this information should credit the
Texas Historical Commission. Last updated: Wednesday, 19-Jan-2011 17:50:05 Central Standard Time

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/crl/Report2/polearm1.htm 04/02/2011
Conservation Research Laboratory - Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservatio... Página 1 de 1

Conservation Research Laboratory Reports

Composite wood / iron objects: pole arms and partisans
La Salle Shipwreck Project
Texas Historical Commission

CONSERVATION OF A WOOD SHAFT

Throughout the conservation process, the wood shaft part of the partisan had been kept wet by
wrapping it in damp rags. It was conserved only after the blade was cast. The encrustation
around the wood was carefully removed using a mechanical air scribe. Silicone oil was used to
treat the wood in this instance, although acetone-rosin would have been just as appropriate.
Both are very good when the wood to be preserved is broken in several pieces and has to be
repaired. PEG was not appropriate as conservation treatment in this case, since there was some
metallic iron remaining on the blade. PEG attacks and can be potentially damaging to iron
unless specific precautions are taken.

Once the partisan was cast and the wooden handle conserved, final photographs and
drawings were made of the reconstructed complete piece. Observations, such as the success
rate of the treatment used and the final appearance of the object, were also included in the
conservation record. The notes made before, during, and after the conservation process aid in
the analysis of artifacts.

See how we conserved the iron blade.

Find out more aboute pole arms and partisans.

This site is maintained by the staff of the Nautical Archaeology Program (cmacwebmaster@tamu.edu). The contents of this site - text, images, and
data - are intended for personal information only. Downloading of information or graphic images contained herein for private use is not discouraged;
however, written permission from the Nautical Archaeology Program is required for the publication of any material. Any use of this material should credit
the Nautical Archaeology Program, Texas A&M University. For additional details, contact Donny L. Hamilton (dlhamilton@tamu.edu). For prices for
publishing rights to photographs and video from the Conservation Research Laboratory and the Port Royal Project, click here. All La Salle shipwreck
images and data contained within this web site are copyrighted ©1999 Texas Historical Commission. You are free to use information or non-copyrighted
images from these pages for any non-commercial purpose. Any use of this information should credit the Texas Historical Commission. Last updated:
Wednesday, 19-Jan-2011 17:50:05 Central Standard Time

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/crl/Report2/polearm2.htm 04/02/2011